The following disclosure relates generally to machines and apparatuses having axial piston arrangements and, more particularly, to apparatuses and methods for converting reciprocating linear motion of one or more pistons into rotary motion of an associated shaft oriented in parallel to the piston motion.
Various apparatuses are known that convert movement of a working fluid within a changeable cylinder volume into rotary motion of an input/output shaft. Conventional internal combustion engines, compressors, and pumps are just a few of such apparatuses. In conventional arrangements, the pistons are connected via connecting rods to a crankshaft that rotates on an axis oriented perpendicular to the direction of travel of the piston.
The theoretical advantages of the axial piston arrangement have been well understood for many years, but no prior effort has succeeded in the marketplace. The primary difficulty in implementing an axial piston engine is in the means provided for preventing rotation of the motion converter, or as commonly referred to, the “wobble plate.”